


with their eyes all aglow

by callunavulgari



Series: Holiday Writing Challenge '12 [2]
Category: Kingdom Hearts, Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Crossover, Gen, Kid Fic, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-03
Updated: 2012-12-03
Packaged: 2017-11-20 04:30:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/581323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callunavulgari/pseuds/callunavulgari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I wasn’t sure if you would be able to see me this year,” he tells Axel, who rolls his eyes. “Jack, my mom can still see you. Half this town can see you. We won’t forget you.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	with their eyes all aglow

**Author's Note:**

> Day 2 of the Holiday Writing Challenge on tumblr [over here](http://giraffe-tier.tumblr.com/post/35469673249/winter-drawing-writing-challenge). Prompt was 'snowball fights'.

There’s a small town at the very heart of Iowa that’s close to Jack’s heart. It’s tiny and quaint—the kind of town where everyone knows everyone—where children still play fearlessly in the street until the street lamps light and parents leave their kids with the neighbors for the night, not worried about whether it’s safe or not. It’s an old-fashioned town, sure, but it’s cute. They help each other string up christmas lights and still go caroling on the holidays.  
  
But the most important thing is that when they grin and tap their child on their nose, crooning, “Jack Frost, nipping at your nose...” they _believe_.  
  
There’s a little boy on Ash St. with a shock of red hair, pale cheeks flushed rosy, and playful green eyes. Jack has been there for all of his birthdays, showing up every year with ice shaped into all kinds of creatures—graceful unicorns and dancing bears that never melt. When Jack shows up to his fourteenth birthday, fashionably late with a smile on his face, the boy has one of his friends tackled into the snow. The redhead, Axel, grins down at his friend, eyes glittering as the other boy smacks mittened hands into Axel’s face, attempting to push him away.  
  
“C’mon Roxas, you know you love it,” he laughs, face bright with excitement before he manages to catch sight of Jack over Roxas’ shoulder. He _beams_ , scrambling off of his friend so he can stumble into Jack’s arms, wrapping him in a tight hug that nearly smothers him. There’s only one thing that Jack hates about winter, and that’s parkas.  
  
“Jack!” Axel shouts, lips moving against Jack’s shoulder.  
  
“Hey little dude,” he says, eying Roxas over the edge of Axel’s bright green parka. There’s a weird fuzzy liner around the hood and he grimaces as it tickles his nose.  
  
Axel pulls back to look at him, still beaming. “I didn’t think you’d come this year,” he says.  
  
Jack smiles down—no—smiles _up_ at him. Damn, the kid’s getting tall. “I wasn’t sure if you would be able to see me this year,” he tells Axel, who rolls his eyes.  
  
“Jack, my _mom_ can still see you. Half this _town_ can see you. We won’t forget you.”  
  
Jack shrugs, watching Roxas sidle up to Axel’s side. The kid’s hand twitches, an aborted movement that makes Jack wonder if they would be holding hands if he wasn’t here. “And how are you doing, kid?” he asks, smirking when Roxas narrows his eyes at him.  
  
“I’ve been better,” he finally answers when Axel elbows him in the side.  
  
“Aw man, what happened? You were such a cheerful little thing the last time I saw you!”  
  
Roxas rolls his eyes. “Puberty happened, Jack.”  
  
Jack squints at him, but nope, he’s pretty sure the kid isn’t actually thirteen yet. He grins, conjuring a snow ball behind his back. No one should frown like that at such a young age. “You’re twelve, Rox. Seriously, live a little,” he laughs, tossing the snowball.  
  
After three hundred years, his aim is impeccable, and the joyful look that breaks out across Roxas’ face is all the payment he’ll ever need.  
  
The ensuing snowball fight is glorious, infectious laughter on the air and smiles on everyone’s faces. Near the end, when they’re toddling inside, trudging snow into the foyer to melt, he pretends that he doesn’t see the way that Roxas gingerly tucks his hand into Axel’s, grinning the whole time.  
  
Roxas has his whole life to grow up, he can be a kid for a day.


End file.
